Numerous applicators comprise an applicator member, for example, a bundle of bristles, fastened to an end of a stem for applying composition to a surface of the human body, for example, skin, lips, hair, or nails, for example, fingernails or toenails.
French patent applications FR-A-2 722 380 and FR-A-2 722 381 disclose applicators having a stem that includes flexibility that is close to a flexibility of the applicator member, the stem being, over a large portion of a length thereof, of smaller cross-section than a remainder of the stem.
Patent application EP-A-1 504 691 discloses an applicator including a stem having a flexible portion with shape memory, and a bottom half that is substantially non-flexible.